SCAVENGER HUNT: COMPOSTING!

Hi everyone, I was unable to attach the file for the scavenger hunt. I copied and pasted it onto the blog. Enjoy!  

Scavenger Hunt: Composting! Directions: This is a scavenger hunt that consists of questions relating to composting. In order to find the answer to these questions, you have to access the composting blog for the answers. Have fun! 

1)      What’s the difference between composting indoors and outdoors?

2)      How long does it take to compost?

3)      What are the different types of bins used in holding units?

4)      How much is the price to have a company service your home for compost?

5)      What are the different types of holding units?

6)      How many years does it take to a make a Pit/Trench compost?

7)      What makes something compostable?

8)      What is the #1 problem with food composting?

9)      What does composting eliminate the use of?

10)  What can compost material be used for?

11)  What is one specific example of a greater scale of composting?

12)  How much trash do New Yorkers generate per person?

13)  What is the Bokashi method of composting?

14)  Why can’t lemons or oranges be composted?

15)  How does composting reduce the amount of solid waste in landfills?

16)  What percentages of Americans consume fast food every day?

17)  Which state has composting laws?

18)  What percent of litter is fast food?

19)  Why does compost sometimes have a bad odor?

20)  What do the numbers on each slide mean? (Slideshow: What is the science of composting?)

21)  What does compost turn into?

22)  What happens to the compost when it gets to the sanitation compost site?

23)  Where does the compost go after staying in the Sanitation Compost site for 3 months?

24)  What are the three stages of recycling?

25)  What is the Green Cup Recycle challenge?

26)  When is the “NYC Compost Project in Brooklyn Soil Spa Basics”? (Date and time).

27)  Why can’t you compost certain things?

28)  Why are 3 things you didn’t know you could compost?

29)  Why can’t you compost your pets waste?

30)  How does compost benefit the earth?

31)  What gas comes out of dumpsters?

32)  What are the effects of incinerators on our health?

33)  What’s the difference between aerobic and anaerobic composting?

34)  What is an incinerator?

35)  How much does it cost to build an incinerator?

I never talk trash. I talk COMPOST!

These two posters represent compost awareness at the High School for Environmental Studies.

References:
http://www.lesecologycenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=3&Itemid=6
http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/compost/compostproj_wrkshps_classroom.shtml

What can and cannot be composted? What are the benefits of composting?

These are flyers that will be put up around the school to inform students about what can be composted and why as well as what the benefits of composting are.

Citations:

1) www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/rrr/composting/benefits.htm

2) www.compostinstructions.com/benefits-of-compost/

3) www.the-compost-gardener.com/benefits-of-compost.html

4) http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/composting/compost_1.php

5) www.compostguide.com/composting-chart/

Do's and Donts of composting...

This flyer will be posted around the school to inform students about the Do's and Don'ts of composting different items

 http://www.google.com/imgres?q=dos+and+don%27ts+of+composting&um=1&hl=en&safe=active&sa=N&biw=1280&bih=648&tbm=isch&tbnid=Z5kAcBCPrUPbJM:&imgrefurl=http://www.swgc.mun.ca/compost/Pages/compost.aspx&docid=EPEY6NZ5tURqJM&imgurl=http://www.swgc.mun.ca/compost/PublishingImages/Graphics/composter_back_of_card.png&w=558&h=297&ei=lZZ9UKFwlLDRAdOMgNgC&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=63&sig=105979786240569820242&page=1&tbnh=91&tbnw=171&start=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:0,i:85&tx=23&ty=40


http://codywitt.wordpress.com/2011/04/07/1-problem-with-food-waste-composting-contamination/

Fast food restaurants... What they do behind the counter ?

 Tired from a long day of school and work, all you want to do is get out, get some fresh air and have a nice quick delicious meal. Where do you go ?... I'll give you a few seconds to think about that... Let me guess, you were thinking something along the lines of McDonald's, Chipotle, or a nice greasy piece of pizza. Did you know that 25% of Americans consume fast food every day ???? http://www.pamf.org/teen/health/nutrition/fastfood.html seems like a big number doesn't it ?...well IT IS! People are reliant on fast food every day because its an expedient method of assuaging hunger, it's convenient and it comes cheap. But when you catch yourself walking into one of these fast food places, I want you to stop and think... What effect am i having, as a consumer on the planet when i order  a number 2 with BBQ chipotle and a large soda. Stop and think, do these restaurants take the necessary actions to keep the earth clean. Do these restaurants COMPOST ?

for info on composting feel free to visit the blog next door " Composting isn't a myth " by RAguilar. SPeter

Did you know- food waste in restaurants

                                                           Did You Know...

where it all goes

( beautiful view isn't it ? just takes your breath away...  o.O )








Almost 10 percent of the foods in fast food restaurants are thrown out, according to a study by Timothy Jones, a University of Arizona archaeologist.

Food scraps make up approximately 52 percent of fast food restaurant's trash.

The clean water action ( CWA) found that the biggest source (49 percent) of litter is fast food. The five most significant sources were McDonald's, Burger King, Seven Eleven, Starbucks and Wendy’s. Up to 31 percent, according to CWA’s findings, of the trash collected could be eliminated by reusable alternatives. 

                                          

Want to hear Our opinion ?... Oh no ?...  well you're going to hear it anyways :D

We believe although some restaurants and fast food places are trying to develop a cleaner form of waste management, they need to try HARDER! you guys with me ?! spread the word to burger king, McDonald's, and all the other fast food places near you by spreading your knowledge on composting or on how to reduce food waste... help them help the environment!






 REFERENCES:


http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/06/fast-food-big-source-trash-pollution/

http://www.foodnotbombs.net/FOOD%20WASTE%20FLYER.pdf


By: MICHELLE & Jorge

The Relationship Between Composting and the Dumpster

Destini and Jason's Composting PowerPoint from EmilaKarla

Learn more about composting.

Compost animation.

Click the link above. This animation is a really cool way to learn about the importance of composting. Enjoy! :)

Why composting?

Why composting? from umerak

Learn more about the importance of composting in schools and the environment. 

What is the science behind composting?

http://prezi.com/rpq4-wijz9ux/what-is-the-science-behind-composting/

What is the difference between composting and recycling part 2

Like composting recycling is a method of reducing wastes however recycling is in a different form. Recycling is the process of making new products from products   that have already been disposed by collecting and separating disposable wastes. It helps the environment by using something the most times it can be used. Recycling is used in many different social environments such as the workplace or even in schools. Recycling in a school is on a bigger scale than recycling at work because there are more bins and more people.  On a bigger scale consumer goods are collected and turned back into raw materials which can then be used to make anything. Almost everything can be recycled; some things that are placed in bins and recycled various times are cans, plastic bottles and paper till they are stretched to the thinnest fiber. The benefits of recycling are it protects the environment and helps to slowly reduce global climate change. There are three stages to recycling the first part being collecting and sorting out through recycled items. The second part consists of manufacturing and processing these materials into new reusable products. The final part is selling these recycled items to consumers. There are different recycling programs such as curbside pickup, buy-back centers, drop-off centers, deposit/refund programs. Like composting it reduces the amount of waste product in landfills. An advance in recycling technology is a process known as single-stream recycling. Unlike regular recycling where everything must be separated into different bins this kind of recycling allows everything to be placed in one bin. When these materials are delivered to the materials recovery facility (MRF)  they are separated by advanced recycling technology which includes magnets, screens and optical scanners to automate the sorting of recyclables. This form of recycling is convenient to some people and it just comes to show how there are different forms of recycling making it easier for us to participate.

Single-Stream Recycling

http://www.benefits-of-recycling.com/helptheenvironmentbyrecycling

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/recycling.htm

http://earthandindustry.com/2010/11/america-recycles-day-inside-single-stream-recycling/

Compost and us!

"Compost and Us!" is a lesson-plan styled powerpoint created by Jenifer Mejia and I in order to educate students about composting and its benefits to the Earth.

COMPOST AT HOME! ONLY $39.95 PLUS TAXES

Yes, it's really $39.95 a month but it is a convienient solution for apartment dwellers in urban areas such as NYC who want to compost. It's simple just pick up the phone ,call the number in the link, get the bin, place the bran in the bin, place the scraps in the bin and let Vokashi do the rest! Vokashi is a renaissance in waste management in New York City besides just sending all your junk to Staten Island, the compost will be used in community gardens in inner city neighborhoods to grow crops locally which can then be sold at farmers markets.

Composting can be really difficult for those who live in the city, but thanks to Vokashi Kitchen Waste Solution anyone can compost at home! Vokashi is a bucket and it makes your life so much easier because now you don't have to get all messy and let the bad odor take over your whole house.


Visit the link and her here:
http://www.vokashi.com/testimonials.html

Economic Benefits of Composting

Economic Benefits

There are many economic benefits of composting. The society benefits from composting economically by having less Dioxin in the air, which comes from incinerators that burns waste. Composting technically goes around the idea of an incinerator, therefore saving money. A small community is also impacted economically from composting. Such benefits consist of the community working for free and taking care of their neighborhood ensuring that the community is composting. This saves millions of dollars since every community has about 15-20 people working for free as community service.

                                                                                     Incinerators

To built a incinerator would cost about 600 million dollars. The Carroll County charges $58 per ton and is going to increase to $68.69 by 2015. There is also a tipping fee for $4.74. The Frederick County charges $76 per ton. The Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority estimates that there will be about 503,700 tons of waste. Once the incinerator is put to use, the risk of certain Cancers begins to increase. With more people being diagnosed with it, the higher the medical bills amongst individuals and families.

Composting

Composting requires less working hours compare to a incinerator. They also do not require fuel deliveries.  Composting is also environmental friendly. Using forced air composting roughly about 4 months, a forced air composting system was able to compost 144 tons. Composting saves money for small families by using the compost for there garden instead of buying fertilizer. This also saves space because it not being sent to a landfill or incinerator.  

References:
http://www.magicsoil.com/MSREV2/economic_benefits.htm
http://www.ecohusky.uconn.edu/compostingbenefits.htm
http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/compost/fundamentals/benefits_economic.htm

New York City Composting Sites :)

http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.59acc4afc8e9fbc880bbe51001c789a0

Composting powerpoint for teachers

This powerpoint is to help educate students about composting at home and what it is used for afterwards.

What is the difference between composting and recycling part 1

Both composting and recycling are methods of handling waste in two different ways   Composting is like a form of recycling due to reusing materials in a productive ways to help enrich the soil. It can be used as a soil amendment because it is filled with rich nutrients improving the physical qualities of your soil. It being a biological process it turns organic waste into a dark, crumbly substance known as humus. Composting involves the breaking down of biodegradable substances from various microorganisms; it breaks down the material to the simplest form. However in order to properly compost you need a couple of things such as nitrogen because it helps balancing the acidity, it also requires carbon as well as water. Although composting should remain a bit dry it needs water to maintain moist and keep the microorganisms alive.  Oxygen is a necessity in composting because it keeps the microorganisms alive. The proper mix of composting consists of the correct blending of brown and green materials. What you mostly  need for composting is gloves, shovel and special bins that are made to house the compost and maintain ventilation and moisture. These bins are made for whether they are going to be used in or outside the house. Bins that are used inside have odor controls built in while outdoor bins are to be placed where odor is not a problem.  There are different composting structures such as a one chamber to three chambers bins, you can also make bins out of chicken wire it all depends on whether you’ll be passive composting which is slower and less efficient or active composting which means you are managing the compost on a daily basis providing an ideal controlled environment.Either way composting is a good method to reduce waste and lessen landfills.               

 

http://www.benefits-of-recycling.com/typesofcomposting/

organiclifestyles.tamu.edu/compost/home_composting_faq.pdf
http://home.howstuffworks.com/composting1.htm